On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
StringOnAStick
The outdoors has always been a source of peace for me, and I love looking at the textures that the natural world presents. This post is a collection of some recent photos of textures that appealed to me; I hope you’ll find some beauty in them as well.
A piece of driftwood, now being colonized by plants along the shore. The nearly constant winds of the Oregon coast make for plenty of salt spray so the plants the colonize the shore are adapted to this situation.
After a long day hiking, I caught a glimpse of this log end, covered in interesting fungus with some tendrils of pale green tree lichen draped on the upper right side. It had already been a 10 mile day but I turned around and went back to get this photo once it registered in my mind what I was seeing as I hurried by.
Tumalo Creek runs through this park, and as I went down to look at the water I realized this fallen snag still had an good grip on this river cobble.
I had gone hiking at this park this fall to see the very brief season when the mountain larch tree needles turn golden and then fall. The aspens in the park had already lost most of their leaves, but where the larches were shedding, the ground was covered in golden needles. This fallen log, well on it’s way to returning to the soil, had a nice layer of them and I liked the contrast.
I have a love of the local manzanita, and this greenleaf manzanita was full of blooms on this day last spring.
We back country ski a lot near the summit of this pass, and on this particular day the skiing was only so-so but the sky was amazing with so much quilted texture. This area has been burned relatively recently so there’s lots of standing dead wood; this burned snag on the edge of the ridge pointed the way toward Three Finger Jack peak, the rugged mountain in the distance.
AlaskaReader
Thanks.
I miss Oregon.
Ten Bears
If I think about it, I’ll remember where that rock is …
OzarkHillbilly
Me too. Thanx for the pics.
BretH
Love the photos, you have a good eye for interesting textures and compositions. Your writing is lovely also – a perfect compliment to the shots.
mvr
@AlaskaReader: I miss Oregon as well.
Hitch-hiked out there in 1978 to go back to College. I believe that once we wound a place there we then hitched down to Yachats or nearby for a short camping trip.
Moved away for the last time for grad school in 1987. Could not afford to live there these days so I don’t call it home anymore. Unfortunately I don’t really call anywhere home these days despite living here on the plains for 30 years.
Thank you, StringOnAStick, for the photos; especially like the one with the stream below the wood.
Mike in Oly
Love this whole set. Thank you!
Grumpy Old Railroader
Excellent series of photos of Western Oregon. How about some of Eastern Oregon? (Disclaimer: Native of Eastern Oregon). But I love this set also
Albatrossity
Gorgeous!
HinTN
Agree with all the compliments above. The textures in nature are wonderful subjects and your eye for composition brings that to the wider world. I especially liked the log with larch.
JanieM
Beautiful, both in themselves and in their variety.
l3000
These pieces of driftwood are so beautiful. Gorgeous photos. I particularly like the first one.
susanna
I also miss Oregon, so thanks.
And love nature’s ways of enhancing itself, especially the logs holding the large rock. To me, it looks like geckos doing the heavy lifting. Nature does wonders to the imagination….
stinger
You have a great eye for a striking image! All are wonderful, but I am most intrigued by the tree roots hanging on futilely to that rock!
Kelly
Santiam Pass burned in the B&B fire the summer of 2003. I was camping at Jefferson Park in north end of Mt Jefferson Wilderness. Planned a leisurely week long backpacking trip to Santiam Pass. Saw the first plumes of smoke while cooking supper. The smoke vanished and daylight was short so I stayed put for the night. No sign of smoke in the morning so I packed up and started south. Crested a ridge and there was smoke for as far as I could see. Beat a hasty retreat to the nearest trail head, Pamelia Lake. Caught a ride with other fleeing backpackers.
J R in WV
Great stuff. Had no idea Manzanita was possible in western Oregon, have some around out mountain camp in SE Arizona. The spring blooms ARE wonderful~!!~
And now I need to attempt to use the tractor to muscle a downed tree out of the driveway. PT home health care guy was due in around 11:30, called nearly at noon to tell us it wasn’t going to happen today, told me where on the farm road the issues was. Tractor will be less work than a chainsaw, so hoping diesel and hydraulic power will do the job while I sit in the driver’s seat.
Yesterday I helped a well driller pull the old water pump out of the well and install a new one. He did the heavier work, I was still whipped puppy by bedtime. No running water since the morning after Wife got back home. Ah, the joy of rural life~!!~
BigJimSlade
I always like seeing all the rocks stuck in the roots of uprooted trees.
And the little hanging bell flowers of manzanita are always a prettier-than-expected surprise :-)
munira
I love photos like this – you have a good eye.
StringOnAStick
Thanks everyone, you are very kind and I appreciate it!